Circuit Won't Revive Talking Defibrillator Suit

Law360, New York (November 6, 2007, 12:00 AM EST) -- An inventor lost his appeal of his talking defibrillator patent suit's dismissal when the Federal Circuit sided Tuesday with the lower court in ruling the issue had already been decided in an earlier suit.

The court's three-judge panel stuck with Massachusetts district Judge Michael Ponsor, who tossed the suit in April on the grounds that Donald Hutchins' suit's claims against Zoll Medical Corp. were barred by the doctrine of res judicata.

The panel added that Hutchins hadn't identified any grounds for reversal of Ponsor's ruling and...